Street Pavilion on the high hill. Liu Bei spoke to Zhao Yun beside him, and Pang Tong stood behind him.

Liu Bei said: "Zilong, I haven't seen you for a long time, this king misses you a little, you are by this king's side on weekdays, this king has one more helper, and some things are really difficult to do when this helper leaves!" ”

Zhao Yun hugged his fists and said: "There is a concern about King Lao, and the clouds are terrified!" ”

Liu Bei separated Zhao Yun's fist with his hand and said, "No need to be polite." This king has a lot to say to Zilong. Tens of thousands of people have just come, and this king should settle them first.

Now Liu Chan and Shangguan Yan have pacified these tens of thousands of people in an orderly manner. But this camp is a mess, and it is easier to talk on this mountain! ”

Zhao Yun said: "Rong Yun will pass the battle through the king first!" ”

Liu Bei waved his hand and said: "After the battle, Zhou Budo, Li Hui, and Xu Miao have all told this king, and this king already understands the process of the battle, so there is no need to say more." If it's because of a small defeat, you don't have to! "Zhao Yun thanked him.

Liu Bei continued: "Zilong, this king wants to ask Cao Jun to chase down, you have a conflict with Ma Chao, what's going on?" ”

Zhao Yun said: "Your Majesty, there is indeed such a thing. It was because Yun had a disagreement over General Ma's revenge on Cao's army and the capture of the people and people of Xinping.

General Ma plundered the people, and Yun thought it was impossible. As soon as our army goes deep, the stamina is insufficient, and the quick battle is the first, and the plundering people will stumble our army's hands and feet.

Second, the people are innocently suffering, and it is inevitable that arson and plundering will inevitably lead to violations of military orders, such as burning down houses, robbing money and property, and even harming the people.

The king is benevolent and virtuous, and the world admires him, and he must not damage his reputation. The king took the conquest of the Han thief Cao as his great cause, and he would inevitably point directly at the two capitals and take Guanzhong. Without the support of the people, I am afraid that it will be difficult to move an inch.

The third is the man who holds the grain. The people who transported the grain were divided into two parts, and one part of the people had to escort the grain and grass to serve the order of conscription.

The rest is that due to the protracted war, Cao's army invaded Longyou, and the grain route was divided into two, and the manpower required increased.

In order to ensure the transportation of grain and grass, Zhang used remuneration to levy and transfer. In order to get paid, men who did not have to serve forced labor rushed to bring in food.

Therefore, Yun understood the situation clearly and wanted to prohibit the abduction of the people and release the people who were serving as servants. Civilians who carry grain for their work should be admonished, preached the righteousness of our army, soothed with kind words, and released.

General Ma meant that all the people and men could enrich the counties that had been vacated by Cao's army, and it was best to send them back as coolies.

As a result, the two of us had a disagreement, Yun avoided a head-on conflict, and after some deliberation, General Ma agreed to release the father, son, and brother from the captives, father and son to release their father, and brother to release their brother, about 3,000 people, and the rest of the captives were taken back to the king for disposal. Yun made his own opinion, please restrain the king! ”

Liu Bei hugged Zhao Yun and said: "Zilong, please get up, this move is exactly the benevolence and righteousness of this king, very good!"

After a pause, Liu Bei said: "General Ma is dedicated to the great cause of rejuvenating the Han Dynasty, and in order to weaken the strength of the Cao army, it is not wrong to plunder the people and enrich the land as much as possible." The use of some means in troubled times is actually a last resort and has to be used. ”

Brushing his beard, Liu Bei said to Zhao Yun: "Zilong, tonight's big tent discussion." If General Ma doesn't mention this matter, Zilong won't mention it. General Ma mentioned it, slightly aggrieved Zilong.

The current situation requires Ma Chao to suppress the Qiangdi tribe, strengthen his control over Longyou, and prepare for the next step of conscription and army reorganization. Ma Chao himself is extremely arrogant, he has made great achievements in this battle, Ma Chao has to go over in face, but Zilong wants to know what this king thinks! ”

Zhao Yun said: "Yun understands what the king means, don't worry about Yun!" ”

Liu Bei nodded and patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder. Pang Tong stepped forward and interjected: "Since General Zilong has nothing to do, you can go to the street pavilion to strengthen your guard. Our army can attack the Cao army, and the Cao army can also attack us, be careful! ”

Liu Bei said: "Yes, Zilong is busy!" Zhao Yun bowed away.

Pang Tong waved his hand and ordered the guards to retreat ten steps away, and stepped forward to say to Liu Bei: "Wang Shangji doesn't remember the nonsense that he said when he attacked Liu Zhang and won the banquet and drank the courtiers!" ”

Liu Bei shook his head and said: "'The country of destroying people is happy, and the soldiers of the non-benevolent are also!'" 'Right! That's not nonsense, it's the truth. Shiyuan, I understand what you mean, Zilong Tairen missed the opportunity to weaken Cao Jun, right? ”

Pang Tong said: "No, no, no, what the minister wants to say is exactly the opposite of before." At the beginning, it was because it was difficult to succeed without taking Yizhou, and we couldn't afford to delay, and the minister hoped that the king would be decisive, and not be stumped by benevolence and righteousness, and miss the opportunity.

From the words of the minister and Zilong just now, he could tell that the king was shaken by the benevolence and righteousness he pursued. Your Majesty, don't be stumped by benevolence and fall into it, which is not the same as abandoning benevolence and righteousness. ”

Liu Bei smiled: "I am not abandoning my benevolence to the people. Ma Chao's words I savored carefully, and I felt that it made sense. With strong force and soldiers, it may not be feasible to use all means to take the land and then slowly recuperate! ”

Pang Tong said: "Your Majesty, the general trend of the three-point world has basically been decided, and there will be a long-term competition between the three parties. In the era of division of the heroes, soldiers were used for a quick attack, and they fished in troubled waters.

When the water is clear, it should be transformed into a slow map, step by step. The first thing to do is to win the hearts and minds of the people. In the short term, a strong military force can ignore the demands of the people, but it contains huge hidden dangers and is very easy to rebound.

Don't talk about it far away, let's just say that if Cao Cao didn't slaughter the people in Xuzhou, he would just attack each other normally. Did Wang Shang and Kong Rong have the slogan of 'defending the people' and intervening in the war between Tao Qian and Cao Cao?

The two already had contradictions, they couldn't say right or wrong, Cao Cao's father was killed in Xuzhou? Cao Cao's normal revenge, who can interfere, there is no reason to interfere. ”

Liu Bei said with a solemn face: "That's true." ”

Pang Tong said: "The king does not enter Xuzhou, according to the normal trend, when Tao Qian dies of illness, Cao Cao's opportunity will come, Xuzhou is full of factions, Danyang soldiers and Chen Deng, Mi Zhu and other local forces are difficult to reconcile, with Cao Cao's means, nine times out of ten Xuzhou can be captured."

Cao Cao's strength increases, and the situation in the world will change greatly, and in the rich Xuzhou, Cao Cao will fall into the passivity of no food in Guandu? How to find the opportunity for the king to become famous all over the world and become one of the heroes of the late Han Dynasty? ”

Liu Bei agreed: "I'm not as good as Cao Cao, Cao Cao turned over in Yanzhou, but I couldn't hold Xuzhou, it's a pity!"

But I still let the world know that I am Liu Bei! Otherwise, I'm afraid I will continue to nest in the plains as a county magistrate, and when will I come out! The consequence of Cao Cao's disregard for the people's will is to fulfill his enemy, me! ”

Pang Tong said: "Exactly, even if Cao Cao senses that something is wrong and changes his tough methods, the aftermath is still there." After the edict, the king occupied Xuzhou again, forcing Cao Cao to take the risk to conquer.

If it weren't for Yuan Shao's faintness and inability to seize the opportunity to kill the Yellow River and attack Xuchang, otherwise who would have known who would have killed the deer. After the Xuzhou scholars and people could not see hope, they bowed their heads, and the originally rich Xuzhou was abolished.

In addition, Jiangdong Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, these famous generals and tens of thousands of people all flowed into Jiangdong, inexplicably enhancing Jiangdong's strength, and Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang participated in the Chibi War. There is also Kong Ming, whose ancestral home is Langya!

The next step of our army must be Guanzhong, and the will of the people is particularly important. I don't ask the people to help me, but I don't want to help Cao, and I must not let Cao Jun catch a flaw and boost the morale of the people in Guanzhong.

Let's just say that Zhang Ji has not enough manpower to charge food, and would rather use money to recruit people than forcibly levy labor, why! Conscription is inherently bitter, and excessive coercion will cause dissatisfaction among the people, and Zhang Ji paid great attention to appeasing the hearts of the people in Guanzhong.

These captured people came from all over Guanzhong and were released with kindness. Cao Jun forced them to do hard labor, and we showed mercy and judgment.

Our army entered Guanzhong to show strong strength, and the people may fall to us at that time, and the chances of taking Guanzhong are greater!

What Zilong did was right, it was best to let the people who were brought back go, keep them and raise them, we have more places to use the money. ”

Liu Bei couldn't help but laugh and said: "Shi Yuan's words have benefited me a lot, and it is true that Ma Chao's 'I can't win the battle and can't apply benevolent government' made Shi Yuan's previous words emerge in my heart, and I am afraid that I will fall into the burden of benevolence and righteousness again!" ”

Pang Tong said humbly: "Water is impermanent, and if it can break through obstacles, it must rush forward, just like rushing to Yizhou." When it is difficult to strike down, it should be slowly moistened, as if entering the army. ”

Liu Bei said: "Well said, you can't be confused by Ma Chao's violence, why did Xiang Yu lose, isn't it just that he lost to indiscriminate killing!" Knives are sheathed on weekdays, and anyone can use a knife to talk to people all day long. Ma Chao's whole family was killed by Cao Cao, and he was in a hurry to take revenge. Alas! ”

Pang Tong said: "The king has thought that not plundering the people seems to be an effective and good policy, but it may not be a good thing for us now, the king, the cost is too much!" ”

Liu Bei smiled: "Why does Shiyuan always say that he has no money? Ha, I remember, the Qiang people want to be rewarded for participating in the war, the soldiers are rewarded, the war dead and wounded are compensated, the hexagram is built a new city, the people are relocated to fill in Longyou, and the new county is divided, and now Liangzhou is still quelling the rebellion, and the war costs money and food.

By the way, Huang Gongheng said that there is no grass to support the cattle, sheep and horses of the Qiang people, so we still have to buy it? This money is a good time to spend, and the accumulation of several years in Yizhou is scattered in a blink of an eye! ”

Pang Tong said: "What the king said is extremely true. Cao Pi's relocation is indeed a big loss for us in the long run, but don't forget that it will be difficult for them in the short term.

The minister estimated that Cao Pi moved away at least 250,000 people from Wudu, Yinping, Nan'an, and Tianshui, and so many people, resettled, demarcated land, houses, etc., and they resisted leaving their homeland, which was an unstable factor.

These people Cao Pi would never dare to settle in Guanzhong, it was too close and easy to cause trouble. Even Si Li didn't dare, Qingyan and Hebei Sanzhou were the most likely. But Guan Junhou led his troops out of Xiangyang to attack and disturb, and he didn't have to worry about the city.

We took advantage of this opportunity to send capable people from Longyou to mix in, waiting for the opportunity to instigate the people to raise trouble, and give Cao Pi a chaotic Central Plains. ”

Liu Beixi said: "Good plan, I will immediately send someone to inform the second brother, I'm afraid that the second brother will want to move his muscles and bones!"

As for saying that these captives can't be let go casually, then they may not be grateful, Shi Yuan, come with their ears. ”

Liu Bei said carefully to Pang Tong, and Pang Tong was overjoyed and said: "The minister obeys the order!" ”

Liu Bei looked into the distance and breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly turned his head and said, "Shi Yuanlao, you go to see Ma Chao by the way, and ask him not to mention the matter with Zilong tonight!" ”

Pang Tongqi said: "Why! ”

Liu Bei said: "I want to suppress and suppress Ma Chao, Ma Chao's performance in this battle is too outstanding, most of the hard battles and victories were fought by him, originally I wanted to let him, after all, the new construction is a great achievement."

Now that I think about it, I can't let it go too much, lest the fierce horse get off the reins and become a wild horse! ”

Pang Tong smiled: "The minister understands! ”